You may snigger at scooter riders but beware the rider on Yamaha’s 2022 TMAX Tech Max because they may just make you look silly.
2022 Yamaha TMAX 560 Tech Max
What is it with Aussie motorcyclists and scooters? It’s a bloke thing for the most part, but even my missus laughed at me when I chose to take the TMAX for a ride up the Putty Road North-West of Sydney rather than any of the motorcycles I had at my disposal.
There’s a prevailing attitude that scooters are for women, deliveries or inner-city dwellers only, and that any self-respecting motorcycling bloke shouldn’t be caught dead on one. I can’t even repeat what my mate said when I pulled up at his house on the TMAX, but it can tell you it absolutely confirms my point that most blokes hold a sexist attitude towards scooters. And as someone who is happy to ride pretty much anything I just don’t understand it and especially now after spending some time riding Yamaha’s 2022 TMAX Tech Max.
The TMAX has blurred the lines between scooter and motorcycle since its release in 2001. Unlike a regular scooter where the engine and swingarm are one unit, the 562cc parallel-twin engine sits within an aluminium chassis, and there’s an alloy swingarm holding the rear wheel, adjustable suspension and a twin-disc brake setup on the front, just like a motorcycle.
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- Look closely – it’s a Yamaha!
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- The TMAX offers two riding modes
The 2022 TMAX has received a host of updates and one of the first things you notice is the new slimmed-down and even sportier bodywork. It’s been quite a few years since I’d ridden or indeed seen a TMAX in the flesh and I’ll admit to being pleasantly surprised with how small and sleek it looks for a so-called maxiscooter. The new front fairing reminds me of the Tyga fairing kits that riders fitted to their Honda VFR400s to give them a modern look and it gives the TMAX a sporty, aggressive and altogether un-scooter like stance.
There’s an all-new spacious Bluetooth enabled seven-inch TFT display that features turn-by-turn Garmin navigation, backlit handlebar switches, new alloy bars and a new electronically adjustable windscreen.
The comfort requirements of rider and pillion has come in for some attention, too, with a new longer fully heated seat with adjustable rider’s backrest, longer rider footboards and heated hand grips.
Mechanically, there’s a new set of lighter 10-spoke wheels – made using a process called spin forging – on which are a set of sticky new Bridgestone Battlax SC2 tyres and topped off with revised suspension damping settings that give a sportier ride.
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- Top-notch braking at both ends, especially the twin-disc front
With its new flashy look and revised ergonomics, the 2022 TMAX has a seat height of 800mm. That’s not crazy tall but when you first throw a leg over it feels tall because of the positioning of the engine which makes the bodywork bulge underneath the riders seat which splays your legs and increases the necessity for longer legs.
The liquid-cooled 562cc twin-cylinder engine is mounted low in the twin-spar aluminium chassis for better weight distribution which is also to blame for the TMAX’s girth down low. The Euro 5 compliant mill puts out a LAMS-friendly 35kW of power at 7500rpm and there’s a healthy 55.7Nm of torque available at 5250rpm. That muscle is transferred through to the back wheel via a CVT transmission and final belt drive.
For a twist-and-go affair, there’s plenty of poke available – it’s still LAMS approved and the power is pumped through a CVT, so it’s not gong scare you in a hurry. But having said that, it’s no slouch and the torque on hand makes up for the lack of greater power figures.
It’s a strong and willing powerplant around town, while it’s more than comfortable rumbling along on the motorway at an indicted 110km/h with more in the tank. Much more in the tank – I may or may not have managed to register 156km/h at one stage and it still had plenty more left.
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- There’s a decent amount of under-seat storage on the TMAX
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- All the scoot’s main functions are at the touch of a button
The TMAX weighs in at a claimed 220kg, ready to ride. Thanks to the low-slung engine though, that weight sits nice and low and gives the TMAX a stability that smaller scooters don’t have. It’s a combination of fairing style, small wheels and light-ish weight that finds many scooters doing odd things on fast corners and being buffeted around on the freeway, but these are things that you just don’t need to worry about with the TMAX. I’ve never ridden a more solid-feeling, better-handling scooter, it’s as stable as two wheels get on the highway – even with the buffeting effect of other vehicles – and when it comes to railing a turn, I’ve never ridden a better-handling scooter.
The legend is true, you can push the TMAX hard through a set of corners and you will walk away impressed. You can tell you’re rolling on slightly smaller 15-inch wheels if the corners are bumpy, but for the most part the TMAX feels more motorcycle than scooter when you’re pushing through a set of corners.
The up-side down fork and preload-adjustable rear shock offer a sporty but compliant ride and soak up even the nastiest road surfaces despite the smaller than ‘normal’ wheels. Pushing really hard has the centrestand making grinding noises at you, but for the most part it is a pleasure to punt around and is more than capable of mixing it with your mates and their sportsbikes on the right roads.
But the rigid frame, sticky tyres and quality suspension don’t just serve the hoons well. For those who hit the streets at a more sedate pace, the TMAX has a sure-footed, smooth and confident ride in store for you.
Pulling the package up is a set of 267mm discs gripped by R1-look four piston calipers on the front, with a large 282mm disc with single-piston caliper on the back. The second caliper nestled above the main rear caliper is the handbrake which is operated from a lever on the left-hand ’bar. Both ends are equipped with ABS which works but lacks some finesse when it comes on sending a hefty pulsation through the levers. The brakes are excellent at both ends offering oodles of power and feel – anything more would be overkill.
In the electronics department you get switchable traction control – that’s a bonus because I enjoy the odd scooter burnout while having electronic gizmos there to back me up during less-enthusiastic bouts of stupidity.
There’s also two ride modes to choose from – Touring and Sport. Sport is the go, because touring mode takes the edge of the power. I’m not sure you need or want that when you’re touring but it would make a good rain mode.
The TMAX is a mighty city scoot but there’s absolutely no reason you couldn’t load it up with luggage and head bush, because it’s a comfortable sucker with enough fruit to put in good stead with the current crop of sports-tourers.
The heated seat has copped a tune from Yamaha to make the heat settings more precise, and the heated grips are a serious plus when the ambient temperature drops.
All gizmos are adjusted via the left-hand switchblock and displayed by the flash new full-colour TFT screen. The TFT offers Bluetooth connectivity so you can connect your phone to it and play music and receive messages – you’ll need to be parked to check those messages though.
The navigation is a cool addition, but here’s the catch. To access all the TFT’s Bluetooth features you’ll need to use Yamaha’s MyRide app which includes the Garmin navigation system. And to use the Garmin navigation function, you’ll need to pay a monthly subscription. This is frustrating given there’s a perfectly good navigation system built-in on most smartphones these days.
Most features are controlled by a joystick on the left-hand ’bar. This doesn’t look or sound remarkable, but manufacturers of the world please take note: the simplicity of the joystick and the user-friendly menu and interface of the TFT is close to, if not the easiest system I have used on either a scooter or a motorcycle.
Yamaha engineers got a carried away with how good the system is though, and decided that they would make the control of the adjustable screen a function in the menu. Yes, it is easy enough to navigate to, but you really don’t need to be flicking through the menu instead of looking where you’re going – a simple up and down toggle would have done the job better.
At its highest level the screen sends a stream of air straight at my helmet. I am 186cm tall and if I slouch just a bit I’m encapsulated in its quiet cocoon. Most riders will find it spot-on, taller riders might be looking for a little bit more height.
Just like most scooters, there’s under-seat accommodation. This waterproof cavern is big enough to fit a full-face helmet and a handful of your other travel needs, and there’s even LED lighting provided inside. And unlike most scooters, it’s well insulated and you can even stash your drink under the seat without getting too warm.
There’s a keyless fob system in place, so firing the TMAX up and opening the seat and cap to the 15-litre fuel tank is just a button push away. And there’s a bunch of other nifty features on board that go some way to justifying the TMAX’s hefty $20K price tag.
One cool feature is once you shut the TMAX down and walk away, the centrestand locks in place until you unlock the bike using the fob. There’s LED lighting all around, and best of all is the storage locker on the right-hand side which is big enough to easily fit a modern plus-size phone and even has a slide-out draw to attach your phone to so it doesn’t bounce around inside while you’re rolling.
I still don’t understand the pathological dislike riders have for scooters in this country, and I especially can’t grasp it after riding the latest TMAX. There’s really nothing that a LAMS motorcycle can do that the TMAX can’t do at least as good if not better – unless maybe trackdays are your thing.
It could be a question of price and, at $19,849 (ride away), I’d understand that. It’s a lot of moola for any LAMS-legal ride. But apart from that, I think it’s just some lame macho Aussie bloke thing, and I wonder how that attitude is working out for the sportsbike riders I overtook on my weekend ride up the Putty Road?
SPECS
Engine
Capacity: 562cc
Type: Parallel-twin, DOHC, 8 valves
Bore & stroke: 70 x 73mm
Compression ratio: 10.9:1
Cooling: Liquid
Fueling: EFI
Transmission: V-Belt automatic
Clutch: Not applicable
Final drive: Belt
Performance
Power: 35kW @ 7500rpm (claimed)
Torque: 55.7Nm @ 5250rpm (claimed)
Top speed: 250km/h (est)
Fuel consumption: 4.9L/100km (measured)
electronics
Type: Yamaha
Rider aides: ABS, traction control, cruise control
Modes: Touring and Sport
Chassis
Frame material: Aluminium
Frame type: Twin-spar
Rake: 24.9 degrees
Trail: 116mm
Wheelbase: 1575mm
Suspension
Type: DDC
Front: 45mm telescopic fork, non adjustable, 120mm travel
Rear: Monoshock, adjustable preload, 120mm travel
Wheels & brakes
Wheels: Spun-forged aluminium
Front: 15 x 3.5
Rear: 15 x 5.0
Tyres: Bridgestone Battlax Scooter SC2
Front: 120/70R15 (56H)
Rear: 160/60R15 (67H)
Brakes: ABS
Front: Twin 267mm discs, four-piston calipers
Rear: Single 282mm disc, dual-piston caliper
Dimensions
Weight: 220kg (wet, claimed)
Seat height: 800mm
Width: 780mm
Height: 1525mm
Length: 2195mm
Ground clearance; 135mm
Fuel capacity: 15L
Servicing & warranty
First service: 1000km
Intervals: 10,000km
Valve clearance: 40,000km
Warranty: Two years, unlimited km
Business end
Price $19,849 ride away
Colour options Dark Petrol or Power Grey
Contact yamaha-motor.com.au
TEST: PETE VORST PHOTOGRAPHY JOSH LYNCH